Following my DPhil in heart failure and cardiovascular imaging, funded by the British Heart Foundation, I have continued to pursue research that seeks to make a real difference for patients living with heart failure. My doctoral research focused on a Phase 2a clinical trial targeting heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) – a condition responsible for over half of all heart failure cases, yet with few proven treatment options and rising prevalence, particularly among older adults, women, and those with metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Understanding this complex syndrome and developing therapies tailored to its metabolic comorbidities is an urgent unmet need in cardiology.

Earlier this year, I had the honour of presenting the results of our trial at the American College of Cardiology Conference in Chicago, one of the most prestigious stages for cardiovascular science. I shared data from our study exploring a novel metabolic modulator designed to improve heart muscle energy efficiency in patients with heart failure. Attending these international conferences fosters vital connections and idea exchange across disciplines and borders, laying the groundwork for collaborative projects that accelerate innovation and ultimately improve patient care.

To further my expertise and contribute meaningfully to this field, I was awarded a six-week research fellowship grant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, supported by the British Cardiovascular Society and Heart Research UK. Here, I am gaining first-hand experience in core lab analysis of large-scale international randomised heart failure trials – an invaluable opportunity that will pave the way for a longer-term research post. I aim to return to Boston for a year, contingent on future funding, to help shape how trials in cardiometabolic heart failure are designed and interpreted and bring back this expertise to Oxford.

In addition, I continue to work clinically as a cardiology registrar in the NHS and serve on the British Cardiovascular Society Women in Cardiology committee, as part of which I launch a national mentorship programme for women in cardiology. As a mother of two small children, I am a role model for what is possible and encourage more women to pursue this path with the aim to improve cardiovascular health for currently underserved female patients.

Ultimately, I would like to position Oxford as a leading site for international heart failure trials, with a focus on under-recognised causes for heart failure such as cardiac amyloidosis. My long-term goal is to help develop new treatments for this patient group and, if funding allows, to pursue a Master of Public Health at Harvard – building the global insight and policy tools needed to deliver lasting change in the NHS.

If you’re reading this as a fellow Christ Church alumni who values scientific progress with clinical impact, I’d be delighted to connect (sarah.birkhoelzer@gmail.com). The next chapter of this work is being written now – and every conversation, collaboration, or nudge of support makes a difference.